"What are you looking for James?" Asked Sofia, the two were at the library, James was looking around for a certain book while Sofia was just looking around for something that interested her.
"I just want to double check a law in Enchancia," His eyes shifted slightly. "You know so I-I'm not rusty when I become king." Sofia nodded, unaware of his lie. "But now I can`t find that goddamn book." he vented. "It`s not on the bookstand where it`s supposed to be." James was looking frustrated at this point. He continued on searching and venting, he's gone around the library 'thousands of times', Sofia, still on her own search for a book that would catch her eye, could only laugh at how 'adorable' James looked.
"It`s so funny when he acts like this." Sofia glanced over her shoulder, watching him climb up the ladder for a better look at the higher shelves. "But I think I should help look otherwise he`ll tear the library to pieces." Sofia walked towards the ladder where James was and grabbed his attention by tossing up her bracelet at him. Despite his concentration on searching for the law book, he instictively caught the bracelet. He glanced down at the beauty beckoning him down. "James calm down and think for a second, who was the last person with the law book?" His mind searched as he slide down the ladder, but he was quickly distracted by the soft metals in his hand. Further inspecting it, he realized it was the bracelet he had given Sofia for her thirteenth birthday.
"You kept this?" He met her gaze. She smiled slightly and turned away.
"It's my favorite." she confessed, color rising up her neck on to her cheeks. "And its the only bracelet I have that I can honestly say, was out of this world." This brought laughter to James` lips. He saw a meteor crash one night years ago. It had been the first time he let Amber and Sofia dragg him on one of their star gazing picnics. It took him days to locate the exact crash site, but it was very worth it. With Cedric's assitance he had a piece of the meteor made into a bracelet for Sofia and a tiara for Amber. Sofia held out her petite wrist for him to place the the bracelet back on, but he hesitated. This old dusky grey chain doesn't seem worthy now to be placed on such a beautiful wrist. He didn't understand that a few years ago, but now he wants to give her something that could match her beauty.
"Don't you think that you deserve better than this old looking thing?" He asked in a sobering tone. Sofia frowned slightly.
"I don't care what it looks like. I love it because you gave it to me." she didn't realize what she was saying until the words were already out there. Her eyes downcast and her face beet red, she felt James` hand on her wrist.
"Well in that case..." She could hear the grin in his voice, and the warmth of his hands were then replaced by the cool soft metal bracelet. " ...done." She looked up to meet his smiling gaze, and secretly hoped that he didn't read into her words too much. She felt like she needed to change the conversation, to avoid this looming silence.
"Do we even need the law book?" she asked and James stiffened. His eyes shifted from Sofia back to the shelves above him. His face redden slightly.
"I-uh... there's just something I want to verify." He looked back to her. "Don't want to break any major laws without knowing." he added with a forced laugh. Sofia frowned, knowing that there was more. Gorded by her inquisiting stare he added. "Well, um... I just wanted to know if it`s alright to have a king without a wife." Sofia's eyebrows shot up. "And if there can be a queen withouth a husband too." James looked at Sofia hoping she bought that lie.
"James, you and me both know that you have to find a wife to continue the line of royalty." He sighed. She bought it. "You know to have children so they could continue ruling the kingdom for generations to come." Sofia's eyes misted over in wonder.
"You'd make a great mother" James said with a heavy chest, she smiled big. He saw her lips moving but he could no longer hear her. He pictured her holding a baby, their baby, his baby. "No, what am I thinking she`s my step sister for damn sake, she has the right to be with anyone she wants. I mean she`s beautiful so she can have any guy fall for her, she`s smarter than any other girl I have met, and she wasn`t even born into royalty like the other girls that went to Royal Prep, I know she`s capable of doing almost everything a prince can do, she`s strong in her own way. Goddamn it why must the stars hate me." James was way lost in thought so it took Sofia a while to get his attention again.
"James did you hear me? I was trying to get your attention for the past few minutes." James finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Sofia.
"What were you saying?" Sofia sighed in annoyance, James just shrugged.
"I was saying maybe we should ask Amber if she seen the book, if you just want to double check that law."
"Oh, yeah maybe I should do that." Sofia laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Now, come on I think Amber should be back from Freezenberg, maybe she`s in her room." Sofia grabbed James` hand and they exited towards the grand hallway leading to where their bedroom doors are. Sofia knocked on Ambers door and waited for her sister to answer.
"Come in." Amber opened the door to let her siblings inside. Sofia and James saw their sister running to her closet. "Sit somewhere" Amber said franticly "I`ll be out in a second, I`m just looking for something." Sofia and James followed her instruction and sat down on Amber's bed.
"No wonder you`re having trouble finding what you`re looking for you have more stuff than you know what to do with." James stated, Sofia just giggled and gently hit James` arm.
"James be nice, and have some respect this is her room." Amber came out of her closet and gave James her signature scolding stare.
"Yes James, if you don`t like how much stuff I have you can just leave, I have so much stuff because I`m a very social person and I actually get invited to events." James raised his hands in defeat, then looked at Sofia, Sofia then patted James on the shoulder signaling he did well.
"Okay Amber, anyways we`re here to ask if you have seen the law book to Enchancia." Amber then paused, shifting her glance between James and Sofia.
"Why?" James reddens at her question, but thankfully Sofia answered instead.
"Oh just looking some stuff up." Sofia said, in a dismissive manner. Amber just looks at Sofia and shrugs.
"I think daddy has it." Amber tapped her chin. "And if not I think Ruby knows where it is." Amber turned around and went back into her closet.
"You see James, all you needed to do was ask." Sofia turned her attention to Amber. "Thank you Amber, see you at the dinner table." Before Sofia and James could leave Amber`s room Amber called out.
"Sofia, I need your help right after dinner." Sofia stopped at the door frame, in wonder how desperate Amber sounded.
"Sure Amber, anything." Amber poked her head out of her close, with a slight blushed spreading across her face.
"It's really important, so don't forget." James smiled Knowing what got his twin sister`s cheeks to turn so red. Amber barely blushes, she usually has guys swooning over her, giving her gifts, and complaments. So it really doesn`t bother her, She only does this once every `decade`. James knew what caused her cherry colored cheeks.
"Oh, I know what`s going on." James laughs, nudging Sofia with his elbow.
"Oh shut it James!" She tuned to Sofia. "I need your help finding a dress for a date." Sofia`s eyes becames wider, she was surprized that Amber of all people wanted help in princess fashion. "Yes I-I need your help, believe it or not, that`s what sisters are for, right?" Amber looked down, Sofia looked back to find James almost ready to die of laughter.
"Who`s the lucky fool?" Sofia scolded James and faced Amber once again.
"Don`t listen to James, they`re very smart to choose a beautiful, funny, and over all great person like you." she walked closer to Amber. "And I`d be more than happy to help you find a dress for your date." Amber walked towards Sofia and gave her a hug.
"Oh thank you Sofia!" Amber said enthusiastically. "You truly are the best sister anyone could have." Amber let go of Sofia and fixed her tiara.
"Anytime Amber, that`s what sister are for." Sofia smile at Amber. "I`ll help you find a dress right after dinner. I can`t wait to see who`s the lucky prince." Sofia tuned back to James and they exited Amber`s room and headed towards their father`s office.
They made it to their father`s office. Sofia hestated, she heard talking on the otherside of the door, Sofia pushed James back. "I think we should come by later, I don`t want to be rude."
"Oh come on Sof we`re just here to ask him a question, that`s not being rude." James put his ear to the door. "It sounds like mom and dad."James strains. "I can`t make out what they`re saying."
"Rollie, we have to tell them at some point. I`ll be worst if we wait longer." Sofia was pulling James` arm to get him away from the door, he was pulling the opposite way. Sofia let go of his arm giving up, James` hand then plunged foward turning the doorknob, accidentally opening the door. The two fell on the ground, James got up first and help Sofia as their parents watched.
"Good evening children, you two are exactly the ones we wanted to see" King Roland said in a serious tone. James gulped deeply, Sofia looked stiff by his side.
"Uh, I-we just wanted to ask you a question." Said James in the calmest way he can master.
"We are trying to find the law book of Enchancia, but it`s not in the library." Sofia finished for James, all James could do was shake his head.
"Nevermind that right now. Close the door and take a seat." King Roland motioned towards the two chairs infront of his desk. Sofia and James slowly looked towards the chairs and then stated walking to them.
"Now... We have something very important to tell you two about your kindom's future." Said Queen Miranda, Sofia and James` eyes widened wondering what could be the urgency. But before Queen Miranda could even make one more sound, the door flew open. The royal stuard Ruby came running in.
"Your majesties there is a crisis with the neighboring kingdom... They want WAR!" The king and queen ran out following Ruby leaving James and Sofia concerned for what`s to come.